The girl who got away
by Nena-Daconte
Summary: Gale and Katniss daughter is reaped for the Hunger Games. Every one expects her to be a champion, however Megan will have to discover a secret bigger than the Games and she'll have to escape the arena before other tributes find her
1. Chapter 1

"Megan!" A tight grip on my right shoulder wake me from my daydreaming. The look on my best friend, Zala, warned me. Something was wrong. I heard something that made me shiver. A single scream from my father. He was standing across the square but I could still hear him as if he was standing right next to me. He was the image of pure pain.

"Megan! It's you!" Zala shouted while she shook me to make me react. I was in shock. Was this really happening? Was I really chosen to become the tribute of the 12 district? Apparently, I was because a gap between the multitude open for me to jump on stage. I walked on slow motion, aware of my own body only because I felt Zala´s small hands pushing my back gently.

"Don't worry, Megs, you're going to be just fine. Remember to be strong. Remember to be fast. Trust no one. Well, trust Hamlich and Peeta. Don´t let your father see you crying. Be strong, little one." Zala kept whispering words of encouragement and advice on my ear. Her voice finally calmed me down. I have never understood how Zala talks so fast. I felt dizzy. God! Everyone kept staring at me with that look we-are-sorry-you're-going-to-die. It really annoyed me.

I climbed on stage and took a seat right next to Hamlich. He kept staring at me and on his eyes a strange mixture of angst and sadness fought to get through. Peeta didn't even turn around to face me. He kept looking at the audience as they called the name of the boy tribute. Marco Fiori.

The musician's kid. His father was a sensible man that played on every festivity in town. He was the only musician in the district. Not that the people need more with the hard times they faced.

Marco took the spot right next to me and we shook hands. Poor kid, he was going down. It seemed like a really cruel thing to say, but I knew that if it came down to me or him, it was going to be me. I could hear his family crying out loud even thought they were far from the stage. God! Please let my father pull himself together! I searched for him and found his emotionless face only disturbed by his eyes full of tears. Yeah, Gale is a warrior. People, that's my Dad!

Deep down I didn't felt so cheerful, I was mentally preparing myself for the goodbyes that were yet to come.

"Dad…" I whimpered a little. I couldn't help it. My dad just hugged me and started caressing my hair. This was unfair. They were many families out there with six or seven kids each that barely knew each other's names. Last week I saw how Mr. Coofter tried to sell her youngest daughter to an old man at the market. He wasn't even ashamed when I stared at disbelief. He kept on going as if it was the most common thing on the Earth. My dad only had me. And he had never attempted to sell me, so I guess that was good.

Once, he had my mom and for a while we lived on paradise. She was a strong gentle woman who always tried to protect us. Bust she was never fully with us. Once she left for the Hunger Games, she never came back totally. She was always paranoic, thinking that the Capitol poisoned her food or send someone to kill her. Being the only person who had managed to change the Games' rules, maybe she wasn't far from the truth. A part of her always remained on the arena or maybe next to Peeta Mellark. She slipped away slowly year after year and then died suddenly few months ago. And now my Dad was going to lose me.

"Megan, you need to promise me you'll try your best." my dad ordered me as he turned to face me directly. He was on so much pain I had to admit maybe his sanity depended on my ability to accomplish that promise.

"I promise"

"Listen to Peeta. He will probably refuse to coach you properly, if he loved your mother as much as he claims he can't let you die, do you get it?" hearing him talking about Peeta loving my mother made me feel a bit awkward.

"Kind of." my answer seemed enough for him and he kissed my forehead before he stand and walked to the door.

"I love you" those were his last words to me.

"Love you, too." I'm not even sure that he listen me.

"Ooo..no,no,no. Stop it! Megan, stop crying immediately!" Zala demanded with her most authoritarian voice. Her reddish curly hair was all messy and gave her a scary kind of look. Even thought she was little, she inspired a lot of fear. I decided to obey her. "I got a lot to tell you and there's not enough time. First point: Marco"

"Yeah?"

"He's an idiot." Zala declared so confidently I had to chuckle a bit. "You'll need a good ally in there, and Marco won't be the right one. Look for someone bigger and stronger than you but not too clever."

"Easy. Why not to clever?" I had to admit probably I would want Zala to join me and be my ally. She made it sound so easy!

"If he is too clever he'd never accept to ally with you, dummy. Now, the star-crossed-lovers thing your mom did?"

"Yeah?"

"Bullshit. It's way too overdone. Since your mom did it, nobody has been able to recreate it. Half of the tributes that had tried to have killed each other and a few morons have end up both death."

"Then, how should I play my cards, oh you brilliant and wise goddess?" I apparently didn't have many options and my best friend was not being very helpful.

"You'll need to run fast, stay out of sight and get an ally; from there it all depends on your luck. Now as far for your sponsor strategy if I were you…I tell them to fuck themselves." Zala seemed pretty damn proud of herself for her advising.

"I don't think that will please the sponsors." I reminded her.

"Girl, we are facing one of the driest year in decades, even the wealthier districts are facing crises. Sponsoring, if there's any, will be destined to the tributes that are most likely to survive."

"And I'm not part of them?" I questioned.

"My job is to be brutally honest. You are not."

"You're a terrible friend. Oh, and your advices suck. Is hard to tell you now just how much I'll miss you." I mocked, feeling on a sudden good mood.

"I know you will. Bye, little one." She waved as she left the room with a big sassy smile. How I wish to be like her! Careless and free! Maybe that would be my role in the games.

And just like that I was alone to face the fact that I was running to my death. Isn't my life great?


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks to my first reviewer! I have to admit my first 2 chapters are really slim but I hope I'll get better.! **

The trip to Capitol was much more boring than what I expected. To sum it up I will only tell you the important stuff. Marco Fiori proved to be not only a terrible ally but also an important obstacle I had to overcome. He was shaking all the time and he followed me everywhere. The kid was a complete shaking punch bag and a total pain on the ass. He kept talking about how terrible our deaths would be. On a few hours he managed to enlist all the probable endings that waited for us. I wasn't sure he was kidding when he said most likely I would get killed and then eaten by cannibals or catch a rare flu and die asphyxiated with my own saliva. Now you get, why he bothered me so much? I hope so.

Hamlich felt really disappointed when he discovered that unlike my mother, I had no special abilities or so ever. He tried to be nice, and then turned into threatening, bored, angry, comprehensive…none of it worked. I was probably the least special girl on the whole freaking District. Seriously, my luck sucks.

Although, there was something I could do. I don't know how to describe it; is rather a defensive ability.

I discovered accidentally. My mother always tried to teach me how to use the bow and arrow, but I never really got it. I always felt like I disappointed her. She gave up and resigned to the fact that I was probably not good at anything. One afternoon, when she was out of the house to see Peeta (which happened more often than it should), Zala and I argued. It was some stupid argument about some boy but at one point it turned kind of dangerous. I always doubted about my friend's mental stability, and with good reasons. She had this wooden knife my mother used to train me and she started throwing attacks at me. I blocked or avoided every single hit. It was almost like a dance. She threw a hit and I moved a few inches to avoid it. We kept going for almost an hour before we settle down and apologize with each other.

I never told anyone. Zala helped me practice sometimes and we managed to learn from each other. She trained me to be fast. Really fast. She was the school champion at athletics. Something inside me made me keep it on secret to Hamlich and Peeta. Maybe being fast or a really good blocker didn't sound as impressive as they expected.

Peeta was the worst, by the way. He appeared to have an internal debate and too many crossed feelings to be helpful. Sometimes he showed himself open and receptive, full of advice and support and other he just ignored me. Fine, he loved my mother. I knew it; my father knew it and everyone else did. GET OVER IT.

To wrap it up I'll just state that everyone coaching me had to go on and on about the famous Katniss and how much did they loved her and regret her death. They all seemed a bit bipolar and edgy and I surprised myself wondering how would I be if I came back home. It was a big relief when the journey finally concluded.

Cinna liked me and I liked him. We were both silent and a little reserved. He made no questions about my strategy on the games, which was at that moment inexistent. I had to admit he was good at his job. The black long dress that he had chosen, sparkle with every movement I made. He curled up my hair and let it loose over my back. I look breathtaking and I really liked it. I had never considered myself a sexy person, but that was exactly how I looked. I had an idea so brilliant, crazy and suicidal it would probably be my only shot. _"Tell them to fuck themselves"_ Zala's words echoed on my mind.

The parade was the worst part of all. Marco kept shaking and I was afraid he was going to fall out of the cart. I didn't wave enthusiastically as the girl from district 6 or the boy from distric 2. I limited to blow a few kisses and blinked my eye once or twice. The training turned out to be a useless and pathetic show of my inability to learn ANYTHING. Seriously, I had problems learning how to walk on heels, how the hell I'm I supposed to learn how to knock someone down?

The career tributes were huge! They were faster, taller and stronger than any of us. When he saw the, Marco had an emotional breakdown and he started crying and screaming. Besides from the career tributes, there were all normal kids. One captured my attention. A blond, tall boy from district 9 with his hair shaved and big muscles seemed to be relaxed and joyful all the time. Strong but no to clever. Bingo!

Next were the interviews.

I got to tell you something about these Games. All Panem is in a bit of a crisis. Without enough food for the entire population, the Capitol needs to prove they're still in charge. People are angry and tired. A few rebellions in the further districts had risen. People want change. I'll give them that.

The interviews this year had a new host: Mr. Valka. Apparently they had chosen the most annoying and anthipathic person that they found. His family had lot of influences and he used them to get the job. He had the brilliant ideas of hosting the interviews by paring tributes from different districts to spice things a bit. Me and the boy from District 9 end up together. Ok, maybe my luck didn't suck that much!

"Welcome, Joah and Megan! There's been a lot of gossip about you two out there. First you Joah, I heard you volunteer, huh? Lucky boy!" Valka was almost screaming every sentence he articulated. "But some other kid volunteered to take your spot, and what did you did then? Knocked him out, ladies and gentleman!"

"Seriously you did? What the hell is wrong with you?" I asked in complete shock. The boy seemed surprised but he regained his composure immediately.

"I'm going to win this thing, doll." he declared proudly as he smiled victoriously. He's kind of cute when he smiles.

"Don't call me doll."

"Fine, princess."

"Ok, kids, break it up!" Valka seemed annoyed by the fact that we messed up the planned script. "Megan, your mom was the famous Katniss Ever…."

"Oh, God! You too? Yeah, yeah my mom was Katniss the Great." I rolled my eyes and played with my hair. "I get it, she was an excellent fighter, but to be sincere, she was kind of a mediocre mother." it hurts me to be that mean. My mom was a damn good mother, but if I have any chance to win this, I have to play my role fully. If people keep relating me with my mother, the other tributes will think I'm a threat and my head will be in danger. Spoiled, mean and cruel, aren't all the popular girls like that?

"Ohh, poor you! Growing always behind the shadow of a victor isn't an easy task…" Valka tried to change the attack, but instead he gave me a hint.

"How would you know?" I asked.

"Excuse me?" he was shocked, thick drops of sweat ran all over his forehead. Joah gave me an encouraging nod, he was having the time of his life.

"How would you know what is like to grow behind the shadow of a victor?" I smiled at myself. Zala would probably pat my head and gave me a reward if she was there. "I've never understood the point of these interviews, you know?" I directed to Joah and he caught the strategy on the act. I was just hoping he was willing to play his part.

"I know. Is like asking a cow about its favorite color, its hopes and desires and then send it to the slaughter house." he explained while he chuckle a bit. It was his way of saying, I'm in.

"Hopes and desires? It's a cow Jo. However, you're right. We're cows."

"Why all girls think they're cows? You're a really pretty cow, actually"

"Awwr...I feel touched. So you're really big and you knock out people, anything else?" I ask with a big smile, leaning forward to face him more directly. His eyes are deep and attractive. Valka tried hopelessly to regain the attention and mumbled a few words.

"Nop. You got a pair of killing legs and a big mouth, is that all?"

"Yes. And I'm the daughter of Katniss the Great. "I reminded him playfully. "Oh, yeah, the lovers! Are you trying that on me?" he pretended to be surprised and honored.

"Why every boy does think a girl is flirting with him when all she wants is to talk?" the female crowd responds with modest applause. It was the first time I realized the crowd was there. I had really lost myself on the clear sweat eyes of Joah. Damn it! He was messing up my game.

"Well, just to be clear, I am flirting with you." his voice suffered a minor but noticeable change, maybe he meant it.

"You're terrible then. You called me cow."

"Come on! A very pretty cow." he defended himself returning to his usual playful tone.

"Time is up!" Valka screamed in relieve. He invited the next two tributes to take our places. Off stage, Joah smiled and blinked an eye at me before taking off. I was smiling like an idiot until I notice somebody was staring at me. Peeta. He seemed to know all about my strategy. That had to be good, right?

Yeah! I just earned myself an ally…I guess.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks for the support of my two reviewers! This is my first Hunger Games fic and please excuse any mistake in the details. I'm not an addict of the books so I probably will mess up a thing or two XD, my sincere apologies.**

"I need to annunciate you two something. This year the Capitol has made a concession. You can receive the visit of your loved ones before heading to the arena. You'll be all together with the other districts, so it's important you don't show any weakness or sadness." Hamlich gave me a reinsuring nod before turning to Marco and sighting. The poor boy was almost jumping of excitement.

"Megan, I need to talk to you" Peeta whispered in my ear and took me away from the crowd. "What are you doing?"

"What…what do you mean?"

"That boy, Joah, he is going to try to attack you in any moment."

"I know." I smiled sufficiently. My plan had been carefully planned to the minimum detail. If Joah wanted to attack me, fine. Once he realized none of his attacks could hurt me, I'll use him as a guardian dog. He'd like to keep me close for whenever he finally discovers how to take me out. Hopefully, he won't. "He can't touch me"

"Fine, use your secret weapon or whatever." just as Peeta is talking to me a blackout takes place. There have been a lot of them this week. Just this morning, three of them already took place. With all the electrical current used to maintain the live broadcasting and the lack of production on the poorest districts, keeping the power up all day has become impossible. On the dark, Peeta starts mumbling very fast. "You need to be fast, Megs. Reach the limits and then escape. The boy isn't going to be helpful. Get rid of him. Be safe." I know he is saying all this, because probably the cameras and microphones are failing but is still weird. Why did he say escape? Escape where?

The lights go back up and Peeta waves good bye at me. Marco and I are conducted to the training room that has been cleared from all the dummies and stations to give room to our families and friends. The room is so crowded I can barely breathe. I don't see my father anywhere, but Marco is quickly suffocated in a hug by her mother and they both start crying. So much for not showing weakness, kid. I suddenly hear a joyful cry. Zala practically jumped and pushed everyone to get to me. I'm pretty sure she could have conducted herself more decently but she really takes any opportunity to hit shit away. God she'd make an excellent tribute!

"You're still alive!" Zala sound so surprised is insulting. A few people turned around annoyed by the screaming of the little red-haired, but as always, she doesn't care. I recognize Joah who is talking with two other kids. His brothers maybe. One of them has a black eye and an ugly scar on the lip.

"Nobody has ever died before reaching the freaking arena, Z. "I reminded her annoyed. I still don't see my father.

"Well, we all know how you always like to be the first one to do everything so, who knows? Now focus." Her green eyes sparkle with anxiety and I knew I had to listen closely. "If you dare to interrupt me, I'll kill you."

"Fine, cut the drama."

"Your father is missing. He has been missing since the reaping. If he is death, he probably killed himself, you know how he always talked about doing that." a camera got closer and I can just nod to keep Zala going. Is she INSANE? Wait…there's too many things wrong on what she is saying, so there's probably a hidden message. I listen closely… "He left a letter. It said something _like on the forest, look for the spirit of your mother; she will probably be wearing the blue dress she wore when we buried her. Oh! Megan the funeral, do you remember? It was so pretty!_" I can tell Zala memorized the whole thing and she is relieved she remembered all of it.

This is definitely a secret message.

"Oh! I remember that dress." Of course I don't, but I lie. Zala get's the point. I understood her message.

"Good. I have to leave. It's time for you to get to the arena." Zala hugged me and whispered something at me "I'll be waiting for you, little one." She waved and leave with the other families. I heard Marco cry and I felt genuinely sorry for him. "Oh! And that kid, Joah? He's a perfect 10, good for you!" Zala shouts from the other side of the room. I heard Joah laughing his ass off. I have the worst best friend ever.

I had sixty seconds. Sixty seconds to get my fucking mind together. First my dad. He was definitely not dead. He was too strong to commit suicide, so suggesting he did was probably Zala's way to tell me he was alive. But why he was missing?

Forty seconds. I didn't attend to my mother's funeral. On the last months before her death, I barely saw her. She spent all her time with Peeta. The blue dress Zala mentioned was actually the one she wore on the day I was born. Look for your mother. Maybe she left something for me on the forest or maybe Zala referred to a sponsor. Maybe…no that's too crazy. She had the funeral, right? People cried her death. My father told me she had passed away on the forest while she hunted. She couldn't be alive.

Thirty seconds. Run. Escape. Where? The arena was set on the middle of a forest like the one on my mother's Games. On the edges of the whole forest they had placed mutts and electrified fences so tall, you'll never pass them. A thought started forming on my mind, but I really couldn't shape it fully! It was so frustrating!

Ten seconds. All tributes are bigger than me. I was not going to rescue any supplies at all, with the rest of the tributes busy on the slaughter I may had a chance. I had to be fast. Really Fast. Five seconds. Run fast, little one. Time's up! I started running to the forest. All the other tributes try to collect at least a bag of supplies before taking off. Because nobody has yet a weapon, nobody cares to stop me. I reach the forest and keep running for about thirty minutes until I can't stand on my feet.

I collapsed on the ground and felt the mud under me. If there's mud, there's water close, so I'm safe for a while. After just about ten minutes I heard a whistle. Not a human whistle. Something too familiar and alarming. I rolled my body a few inches just in time to avoid the spare that felt aside me. A second whistle comes and I'm almost bored when I move my hand a bit to avoid the second spare. I stand up and face the boy pointing me with a third spare. I laughed on defiance.

"Make a move, pretty." I teased him. The third spares flew right next to where I was standing just seconds ago. "Are you done attacking me, Jo?"

"Fine. I'm too tired to do this." Joah answers back grumpily. He looks tired and worn out as he sat next to me and offered me a cracker. I started eating it when I notice there's blood on his clothes.

"Did you kill anyone?"

"A small girl from district ten. I missed my first shot and I had to end the job manually. It sucked. It's probably good you weren't there to see all that blood. A princess like you wouldn't have made it out."

"Shut up! Are you hurt?" I ask trying to appear relaxed. The small blood I notice on the shirt of my ally is just a small amount compared to the blood on his right leg.

"I felt on my way here. Damn, you're a fast cow!" I laughed at his joke. He always seems to be happy and cheerful. "Oh, and I stabbed a kid from the district 3 or 4 but he didn't die immediately."

"You talk like such a badass."

"I'm badass, babe. Hey, the crazy red-haired that came to say goodbye to you. Is she single?"

"She's way out of your league." Zala must be enjoying this. We kept silence as the cannons fire away. Six cannons. "The guy you volunteered for…it was your brother." Joah confirmed my suspects with a nod. He lay on his back with his eyes closed "And the guy you knocked down…"

"He's my older brother. He is engaged to a beautiful and lovely girl. This was his last year to be picked out and the asshole wanted to take my place. There was no way I'd let him." he explained to me. So he wasn't an idiot or an adrenaline junkie. He was a good loving brother. Now it was harder to think about killing him. He wasn't so dumb either. I started to consider the idea that maybe he could he could help me figure out the hints Zala gave me.

"Do you want to know my strategy?" he just nods in response. "I'll escape the arena." soon after I said that his eyes are full open and he is staring at me.

"I'll help you, princess." he promised me before shooting his eyes closed again.


	4. Chapter 4

**I tried to heat up a bit the things between the main characters. They ARE teenagers full of hormones and eventually things have to happen….please tell me if you liked it!**

"Good morning, sweetheart." the smiling face of Jo woke me up. We had established our little camp near from the pond. I had to admit it was good to have a partner.

"Any luck trying to figure out how to take me out?" I felt a little concerned last night when I felt asleep and Jo offered to take the first guard. It was a huge act of trust to let him close on my vulnerable moments like sleeping or eating and hopefully he would appreciate it.

"I have decided to keep you while you prove yourself useful." Jo started picking up our things. He suggested we should keep moving and stay alert in case other tributes were close. This boy was weird. He looked like a full grown up man at his eighteen years but something in his face was childlike and full of joy. Even when he was on an arena with 11 other kids to kill. Weird, huh?

"Are you still thinking on escape? It will be difficult." Jo tried to sound casual but I could tell he had been thinking about it all night. Probably that is why he had kept me alive.

"Thanks Mr. Obvious. Now can we move pass the obvious? There's still a long way to the limits of the arena, the other tributes, the mutts and the impossible electrified fences. Not to mention the Capitol will probably try to kill us both as soon as possible, and we know they don't play fair." I enlisted the factors that would make our journey almost impossible.

"Don't you care about what they'll do to your family?" Jo questioned with anxiety.

"I have no family. Jo…maybe you shouldn't do this." I stopped walking and tried to organize my ideas. I bit my lip as I did whenever I faced a problem. "I mean, you do have a family to worry about."

"But if I wasn't going to do it, my other option will be killing you." A sad smile extended across his face. He looked like a model or an actor and his body was breathtaking. He looked innocent but I still clenched my body in defense.

"What are you waiting for?" my voice turned cold and defiant. Take your best shot, I think.

He whipped the smile of his face and a sparkle emerged on his blue eyes. He starts walking towards me and I was frozen. Maybe I could avoid a weapon hit, but I suck at physical combat. He grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me violently. "Don't you understand, Meg?" he was shouting now and apart from his voice I just heard the sound of leaves brushing. "I can't kill you! I could never do it!" I am confused by his word and the sound of branches crushing and leaves moving woke me up a little.

"Jo…there's someone else out there." I whisper on his ear, brushing his cheek with my lips while I do it.

He turned out quickly and shielded my body with his. A black tall boy from district one tackles him over and they start to wrestle. I spot a large piece of wood that could help me to bring down Joah's opponent but before I made my way to it I heard the sound of an arrow. It was directed to my heart but I manage d to make it score on my arm. The pain is unbearable, but I know I have to take the arrow out to avoid infection. My mother though me that. The archer took a second shoot but this time I was ready. The arrow lands far away from where I had placed myself and now she was in trouble. Joah's bag is near me and I extracted a knife out of it. I ran to the girl that attacked me and landed it directly on her chest before she can place her next arrow. She gasped and her eyes blinked a few times trying to understand what was happening to her.

I felt nauseous as I retrieve the bloody knife. A cannon fired. I was too busy to felt guilty because a guy emerged from nowhere and tried to hit me with his sword. I remembered the times I practiced with Zala. She held a wooden sword or knife and threw hits at me just like the ones this boy was trying to land on me. Just as Zala did, he failed. I stab him once on the chest and then felt his blood running down my arm. I needed to finish him off but a suffocated scream from Jo drew my attention. The big guy was choking him off and I did what I had to do. I took the lumber and I hit him right on the head. I felt his skull breaking and he suddenly went still. I felt the need to throw up but when I tried nothing came out. Silent tears began moving down my checks as I heard Joah gasping for air. Two cannons fired away and I thought I should be glad I'm alive…but at what cost?

Nine of them death. Three of them Careers. Coincidence? Maybe, but most likely send by the Capitol. Joah haven't said a word after the killings. We have been running for two days directly to the limits of the arena. It was my call. I can't hurt anyone else just to escape. Joah agreed. We were about a day of walking away to the limits but I need to rest. The wound on my arm was looking really bad and I need to rest desperately. We take cover under a cave.

"I'm sorry." Joah broke the silence. A light rain started to fall.

"For what?" I didn't understand why he is apologizing.

"I was supposed to protect you. That was the deal. Instead I laid there as you fought and killed three persons all by your own." he sounded angry at himself. His fist were clenched and his breathing was slow and deep

"You make me sound so weak! " I tried to cheer him up with no results. "I'm fine, you see! Stop making me feel like this!"

"You're not fine!" his voice is so severe I stay quiet. "I didn't want you to kill anyone. Now I feel responsible because you have lost…your...innocence." he blushes furiously and I can't stop a little smile to play on my lips. I don't know for sure how I feel about Joah. I have never kissed a boy before but I think of the person I became at the interviews. So sexy and outgoing. I had to become that person all over.

"My innocence?" Joah turned away his face away when I asked. I crawled to get behind his back. I placed a small kiss on his neck and whispered, "You can sit there feeling gulty all day or you could take away my innocence in a more amusing way."

"How?" he faced me and grabbed my chin gently forcing my face to get closer to his. "Give me a clue" His lips are so close that I just have to lean forward a few millimeters to touch them. And then it happens; my first kiss. Starts out desperately and full of passion. I moaned lightly and Jo grabbed my hair and pulled me closer. My hands rested on his strong muscles underneath his T-shirt. His tongue broke away my resistance and I felt myself letting go. Eventually the kiss grew softer and more calmed. We broke apart with small sweet kisses and I remembered thinking this was hell of a first kiss!

Meybe they were broadcasting our kiss, maybe not. Just before either of us could said a word a cannon fired. I tried to remember who was left.


	5. Chapter 5

Three Careers gone. Six tributes gone. Not of them was Marco. They boy must had skill I didn't knew about. Joah caressed my arm around the arrow wound. Is most likely superficial but it still hurts. One tribute just died. I know that I may sound a little repetitive but I just don't get how a person can one day have a name, a family, a story and then just vanishes and become part of the statistics. Then persons just died and I'm still here somehow. I refuse to become part of the statistics.

Joah helped me healing my wound. We were tired, dirty and hungry. Joah went hunting and I stay and fell asleep. A sharp scream woke me up. I ran towards the direction where the noise came and found Joah covered in blood. "Why are you always covered in blood?" I asked irritated and concerned. I didn't noticed his eyes were teary until he pulled me close to kiss me.

"The girl from my district." He pointed out as the cannon fired away. "She was only twelve."

A small "Ohh" came out of my mouth before I realized I was crying a bit too. Joah pulled himself together quickly and began a fire to cook the rabbit he killed. We ate in silence, resting on each other's arms and trying not to think. The night was falling.

"They are getting to close, Meg." he warned me while he played with the dirt.

"I know."

"We need to get to the limits tomorrow."

"I know." I cuddle on his chest and let myself fall asleep.

We had been traveling for ours without hearing or spotting any sign of a human being or any creature at all. The climate was good and the rain of the night before had freshened the air and I felt cautiously optimistic. Joah was still quiet and that worried me but every time he looked at me he drew a smile that made me confident about our future. We can do this. We can actually do this. I kept thinking as I walked. That was until I heard the cannon. And then other one. And other one. They all came from the limiting area…and we were stupidly walking towards whoever or whatever just killed three people; practically unarmed and with no other real strategy to win this thing. Hey! I never said we were good planners!

We reached a clear. I have never been one of those girls who scream and panic when they're scared but this was shocking. Half of a mile in front of there was a hand. Yes, a hand. Covered in blood and still fresh and pink the hand of a little boy that had been chopped away with a clear cut laid before us. Wait that was not why I screamed. Behind the hand, there was a leg. And behind it…rest of a sculp. Wanna hear the worst part? They were all from different persons.

Joah embraced me on a comforting hug. I sobbed for about ten minutes letting the horror and the sock float through my tears. I topped when I realized Jo's shirt was soaking wet.

"Is this a complot of you to make me take off my shirt?" Joah had this thing that cheered you up immediately.

"Yeah, Jo, I killed three people just to see you naked. Did it work?" I replied sarcastically while I cleaned off my tears.

"Girl, I'm not THAT easy. You'll have to buy me dinner at least."

My laugh was suffocated by a growl. Joah's face changed immediately and I had no time to ask myself why because he pulled my arm firmly to turn me around. Do you know that some people have phobias? Well I have a dog phobia ever since my uncle's dog bit me when I was five. Just a meter in front of me there was the biggest scariest dog I ever saw. Ok maybe it was kind of like a wolf, but hey you got the point! He was as big as a small car and I'm NOT exaggerating.

"Meg, stop hyperventilating." Joah ordered me firmly. "If the mutts are here, the limits are close. We need to run to the fence."

"Is electrified."

"Have you seen a camera lately? They are probably facing the biggest power crisis ever. Is a once in a lifetime shot. We need to pass the mutts"

"Mutts? There's only…" and then another wolf emerged from the threes, and then other one. Yeah we were on trouble. "Jo?" my voice was shaky and scared.

"Run!" he shouted at full volume. And I obeyed.

Going around the wolves would have taken too much time and probably ruined the little surprise factor we had so I tried the must stupid and crazy thing I'll ever do. I passed between two of them. I'm pretty sure the creatures had already calculated the possibility and both had coordinated to tear apart one of my arms each one as minimum but at the exact moment they threw their bite, an amazing thing happen. As the rain had humidified the land, there was lots of mud; that mud made my foot slip and I end up sweeping the floor between the animals with my full body. That made both of the animals missed their bite by a tiny distance and allowed me to pass them and start running toward the fence.

I heard Joah cheering for me and I also heard the close steps from the giant wolves. With my body covered in mud and leafs and my hear racing I focused on getting to the fence. The wolves were fast but I was faster. All those years of training with Zala really paid off. I got to the fence with a good distance between myself and my attackers and I started climbing it. When I was half through and idea made me shrink. I hadn't even checked if the fence was electrified before climbing it! What a fool! I finished up climbing and stopped at the top where I was safe for the moment.

Then I watched a scene that made me scream. Joah had just begun to climb the fence when his face contracted on a pain grin. I saw how the monstrous wolf bit all the way to his left feet and pulled him down. I tried to reach my hand for him, but he was too far. I was terrified as I contemplated his body falling to the ground.

Kind of a cliffhanger, sorry. the truth is that I needed a few days to recreate the story and get the facts straight. What happened and what I'm going to tell you now was one of the most traumatic and amazing days of my life. I tried to fill the lagoons on my story with what other witnesses told me. Last time we talked my partner on the games was at the edge of dead and I was resting on an electrified fence.

Joah felt on the ground whimpering and twisting in pain. A wolf was biting his feet and it didn't let go. Out of nowhere and when everything seemed lost an arrow hit the beast straight in between the eyes. It died immediately. I turned shocked to face our attackers but what I found nearly gave me a heart attack. Standing there, on the other side of the fence, beautiful and triumphantly holding an arch was my mother. She was wearing her sign hair braid and a delicate blue pale dress that suited her perfectly.

"Megan, get down" the authoritarian voice of my father roared. He looked handsome and he was reaching me a hand to help me down.

"I can't leave without him!" I tried to get my voice through but the anxiety in it was undeniable. "Joah! "

"For god sake, Megan! Stop screaming now!" a familiar red-hair ordered me as she jumped the fence and hit a wolf that was dangerously near a much wounded Jo.

"Zala, help me take him up" Peeta lend his hand and my best friend started climbing with Joah.

I couldn't believe my eyes. Everyone I loved was there and we were staging the most spectacular escape of the Games ever! Take that Katniss the Great! I just beat out the fame of my mother and this story will get told to other generations even after my death. I patiently waited for Joah to be safely on the other side. His foot was bleeding heavily. Then just when I proceeded to go down I heard a sizzling sound. My mouth formed a perfect "o" as the electric current went through my body and I lost consciousness.

"Good morning babe!" Joah greeted me as I woke up. I was laying on a sleeping bag surrounded by tall threes in a dark forest. It was late and I could felt my head dizzy as I sat down.

"Are you ok?" I asked Jo, remembering the last time we saw.

"Aww, you're worried about me!"

"Shut up and answer me."

"Define ok." he revealed me his foot. Well, the space were his feet should be. Instead of it, a shinning prosthesis shone. I let out a cry spontaneously. I excused myself for that moment of weakness laying a soft kiss on his lips. "I feel better already."

"My mom…" I started not sure how I should continue.

"Is waiting on the other room with tour father, Peeta, my family and a little sexy as hell red-haired" he licked his lips and I hit him playfully. "Stop! I'm still delicate"

"Where are we?"

"Welcome to District 13, baby"


End file.
